Jul 28 Athens

The Gonzos took Greece (if you weren't aware from my instagram) after our friends' wedding in Italy...and we had the most amazing time! We had initially debated on just staying in Italy, but I yearned for more passport stamps. Kidding...well, not really...but we had already been to Naples, Sorrento, Capri, Rome, and Pisa back in 2008...and we wanted to see something new.

So, the morning after the wedding we drove down to Rome and caught a quick flight to Athens. We were told by some friends that we really only needed a day or two in Athens to see the historic sites, but now I wish we would have stayed a little longer and explored more neighborhoods and experienced the non-tourist parts of Athens. I had found an affordable hotel in the Plaka neighborhood of Athens and it was within walking distance to most of the historic sites. Plus, our room had a great view of the Acropolis, so that was also huge. Even better, the hotel had a rooftop bar...which was obviously my first stop after checking in...and y'all know me and views...it was beautiful.

On the street was a different story though. There was graffiti EVERYWHERE, and I don't mean artistic, creative graffiti. It was sad, actually...Athens could be a really pretty city, but all of the graffiti kills it.

Sunday morning we woke up refreshed (finally) and ready to explore. We visited the Acropolis, Temple of Zeus, the first Olympic stadium, and an ancient Greek market. We walked everywhere, which was nice...except it was 100 degrees and a bit humid. Our clothes were completely soaked by the end of the day and we were so excited to get back to the hotel, shower, and spend the rest of the evening back on the roof enjoying that gorgeous view.

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It's clear to see what my 2017 was like. Although it was a year of challenges, it also had the greatest reward. Thank you for being with me on my incredible journey this year, your words of encouragement to keep me going, and your jokes to keep my spirits up. Cheers to 2018! Happy New Year! #tothefullestblog #nye2017 #happynewyear2018 #leilarose #babygirlgonzo #redondobeach #calilife #blogger #2017bestnine